


so don't run, don't be afraid

by nanagganan



Series: tinysparks entries [4]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Childhood Friends, Friends to Lovers, Jongdae's Birthday Week 2020, M/M, Non-Linear Narrative, mentioned past chansoo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-29
Updated: 2020-09-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:15:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26421727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nanagganan/pseuds/nanagganan
Summary: The scene is familiar. Kyungsoo, Jongdae, and their numerous anime marathons. And Jongdae’s muddled feelings for his best friend wasn’t exactly new either.But this is where Jongdae takes a leap of faith.
Relationships: Do Kyungsoo | D.O/Kim Jongdae | Chen
Series: tinysparks entries [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1858000
Comments: 24
Kudos: 45
Collections: Challenge #7 — Out of Order





	so don't run, don't be afraid

“You’re back early.”

Jongdae stills in the doorway, glancing up to the sight of Kyungsoo leaning on the adjacent wall. He neatly puts his shoes away, toes facing towards the door, and promptly picks up the bag of tteokbokki and fish cakes he purchased at a nearby park.

Kyungsoo takes the bag, silently studying Jongdae’s reaction. He looks worried but Jongdae intervenes before Kyungsoo could open his mouth.

“It was a bust, he’s seeing someone else,” the smile he offers is stiff, mostly stemming from the pang of guilt he’s harboring. He’s lying, it was him who ended the blind date instead after realizing how he kept seeing thicker lips, rounder eyes, and plumper cheeks on the other man. It was unfair to Minseok-- imagining someone else in the middle of a blind date is never a good sign. He left after pouring his heart out and finishing his beer. (Somehow Jongdae found out what a good listener Minseok is and gained a friend along the way.)

He takes a second to study Kyungsoo’s disheveled state, strands of dark hair sticking up, the redness around his eyes dry. He looks exhausted.

Yet Kyungsoo smiles nonetheless, comforting every muscle inside Jongdae’s heart, “You must be starving, let’s unpack so we can eat this together.”

Jongdae tries his best to suppress the smile threatening to bloom on his lips. He ignores the thump, thump, thump of his heart and lets himself bask in the familiar warmth of Kyungsoo consoling him, an arm wrapped around his shoulders. Jongdae thinks that it’s more than what he deserves.

  
  
  
  


“And I was so sure Baekhyun would pick _me_ to ask his group a question, you know? I kept my end of the bargain so why wouldn’t _he_? But of course, droopy eyes had to pick his stupid crush to ask him a question, essentially--”

“Jongdae.”

“--giving twinky Jongin a point. Not his best friend who helped him pass his many exams for three semesters, of course not, why would he pick me?”

“Jongdae.”

“‘ _But Jongdae, you should have seen his puppy eyes_ ,’ he said. No. Fuckin. Way. We had a deal, Mister. And he’s not even keeping it. So much for a best friend--”

“Chanyeol confessed to me today.” 

Jongdae stops, almost dropping the plate he was rinsing. He can feel the blood draining from his veins, heart thumping erratically.

“A-and I said yes. We’re dating now.”

No. _No._ _No! This wasn’t supposed to happen!!_

But Jongdae loves Kyungsoo _too much_ to let him down. 

So he feigns a gleeful surprise and proceeds to pry the whole story from a blushing, stammering, _cute_ Kyungsoo.

A new Kyungsoo only known to Chanyeol. 

  
  
  
  
  


“So, how long have you two been dating?”

The question was uttered innocently from Baekhyun’s mouth, a guy Jongdae met during orientation last week. Baekhyun has only met both Kyungsoo and Jongdae in the same room once-- when he came over to work on the short essay their Sociology professor gave them on the first meeting. The three had dinner together after Kyungsoo came back, they laughed, they chatted, that’s it.

Yet, the sting that came with the familiar question was back. 

As per usual, it was Kyungsoo who answered first, “Pfft, who me? Dating this?” Jongdae was glad he’s trained in the _conceal, don’t feel_ department because he instinctively puts on mock offense at the statement. “As if.”

“Well, excuse you. _This_ happens to be the owner of the cutest ass in the universe.”

“That flat thing? You’re kidding right? Not when I’ve got this.” Kyungsoo slaps his own ass for added effect. 

Jongdae tries his best not to flush when he sees it jiggle, “A-at least I don’t look like a lost child every day!”

Then Baekhyun asks in mild confusion, “W-wait, you’re not?” 

“Nope!” they both say in unison, not bothering to even look at each other. Jongdae is preoccupied with washing the dishes while Kyungsoo wipes down the mess on their kitchen table.

“Huh,” Baekhyun turns his attention back to his phone, seemingly lost in thought. “I was pretty sure you were.”

  
  
  
  
  


They pulled up Kyungsoo’s infamous anime hard drive after that and rewatched the entire first season of _To Aru Majutsu no Index_ , huddling together on the couch. Kyungsoo instinctively clings onto Jongdae’s side, half hugging his torso with eyes fixated on the screen. And Jongdae gives in, throwing an arm behind Kyungsoo so the younger could sit more comfortably.

The scene is familiar. Kyungsoo, Jongdae, and their numerous anime marathons. And Jongdae’s muddled feelings for his best friend wasn’t exactly new either.

\--But this is where Jongdae takes a leap of faith.

“Hey Kyungsoo?”

Kyungsoo hums, eyes fixated on the scenes playing on TV. Jongdae takes his chance anyway.

“I like you. I have been… for a long time now.”

There’s a pause and Jongdae could practically feel Kyungsoo tensing up beside him. He doesn’t move away though, his arm still resting on the back of the couch, protecting Kyungsoo. He knows deep inside that he’s just bracing himself for Kyungsoo’s answer though.

Kyungsoo blinks, round eyes void of any emotions. Jongdae feels anxious under the scrutinizing gaze, wishing that Kyungsoo would just _reject him already so he can move on_. 

Except this is Kyungsoo we’re talking about; unpredictable, unreadable, transparent Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo who suddenly exclaims, “ _Fucking finally!_ ” in a pleased tone.

Before Jongdae can react, a pair of soft lips press resolutely against his own.

  
  
  
  
  


_Kyungsoo thought heartbreaks were fictional, existing only in shoujo mangas and romance novels about forbidden love._

_But it’s real. It’s very real. Especially when you’re the one who got dumped for spending more time with your best friend. Chanyeol’s not wrong, but he’s not right either. Jongdae is special, Jongdae is Kyungsoo’s childhood friend, Jongdae has been with him through thick and thin, Jongdae is--_

_“Go to sleep, I can hear you think.”_

_Kyungsoo buries his face closer to Jongdae’s chest, closing his eyes._

_Jongdae is home._

**Author's Note:**

> Happy birthday, Jongdae-yah ✿
> 
> One of these days, I'm going to write something shorter than 900 words, but that day is not today.  
> Title taken from EliUmi's duet, Storm in Lover's lyrics~ 


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